


The Perfect Gift

by Ulan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Newly married, Post-Canon, Post-Episode Ignis Verse 2, Slow Dancing, and still finding their way, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulan/pseuds/Ulan
Summary: They are celebrating the Day of Light, but Ignis is struggling to find the perfect gift for his new husband.It took a while of him nagging, but it seems Gladio has finally decided on a gift, since he’s invited Ignis for an evening out to get it.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	The Perfect Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadySalamander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySalamander/gifts).



> For LadySalamander, who asked for post-canon seasonal fluff. 
> 
> I had meant to post this sooner, but it took a while to get out! I hope it still works and the mood is still fairly festive these days. Naturally, I don’t think there will be Christmas in Lucis, but I figured, they’ll celebrate the new sunrise, right? There has to be a holiday commemorating that, right??

Ignis was running late. 

All around him, the city was filled to the brim with music and sparkling lights. Not one corner of Insomnia was quiet, every road filled by the hustle and bustle of people celebrating or doing last-minute shopping. Children, the number of which just kept growing by the day, ran around and nearly bumped against Ignis, with only his natural agility sparing them all from injury. 

In the rebuilding, after the long dark, one of the things they had had to rediscover had been things to celebrate. Much had been lost in the years that passed, but it was heartening to see that there were still things they could be grateful for. Looking at the city now, one could barely recognize the endless night it suffered just two years prior. Many parts of the city had since been rebuilt, thanks to the hard work put in by its returning citizens. There were still much to be done, but at least the life they once knew was becoming recognizable again. 

Prompto, with a committee behind him, had been given a special task to uphold old traditions and create new ones. It was their way of rekindling the weary hearts of Eos, among people who have learned to let special occasions pass quietly, given their dwindling resources. Times have since changed; their King was on his rightful throne, and they were rebuilding where they can. 

One of the things they've done that was met with great success was establishing the new holiday close to year's end, to commemorate the time that light returned to Eos. They called it—rightfully so—the Day of Light. It became a sort of festival filled with music and color and lights, with every tree, every shrub, every streetlamp to the very eaves of houses lining the main thoroughfares lined with golden—and sometimes even colored—lights. 

The holiday came with new practices, too. It was a time for people to get together and prepare special meals the family can all enjoy. Another favorite had been to exchange gifts among friends and loved ones, to commemorate the occasion. 

Speaking of loved ones, Ignis's own surely was already at their meeting place. Even now, with barely a year into their marriage, the thought of Gladio never failed to set Ignis’ heart racing. It was a silly thing, he knew, given how long he had known the man. Nevermind that he had been in love with Gladio as far back as he could remember; one would think that after twenty years of working together, one ought to be used to one another. 

Apparently, as Ignis had since learned, dating did change a few things. So did marriage, when things became even more official. Traditions were met with a different sort of excitement, awarded a different brand of validity. It was perhaps not so obvious looking at Ignis, but there was something to be said about sharing these sorts of special occasions with Gladio, now that they were—as they say—”more than friends”. 

There was only one problem. Although the new traditions involved gift exchanges during this time of the year, when asked, Gladio denied that there was anything he wanted as a gift. It didn’t matter how much prodding Ignis did; Gladio just grinned that dashing grin at him, shook his head, and told Ignis there was nothing. 

_‘New camping gear?’_

_‘When the old ones are working perfectly? Not a chance.’_

_‘How about a new watch?’_

_‘I kinda like mine just fine.’_

_‘You have to give me something, Gladio.’_

See, Ignis was a practical man. A man like Gladiolus Amicitia was not someone you give just any old gift to, not when he could afford maybe half of Insomnia if he wished it. And yet Ignis was loath to spend so much money on something Gladio would not need nor use in the end, especially given that the man was not overly fond of owning that many things in the first place. It was why Ignis preferred just asking him straight—if only the man cooperated. 

Asking Noct and Prompto did not really help either. Noct was of the opinion that maybe Ignis ought to just buy Gladio a new car ("He hardly drives though, Noct," Ignis had to remind their king). Prompto, on the other hand, insisted that it needed not be expensive, only that it had to be special. 

“It’s the romance, Igster!” he had said, with a nudge for Ignis and wagging eyebrows for Noct, as though either of those gestures were understood by either man judging by how Ignis felt and the expression on Noctis' face at the time. 

In the end, it seemed that Gladio took pity on his husband (who to be fair was rather new to this whole romance business), and invited Ignis out on the eve of the holiday. He did not say any more than, "Come with me and we'll get my gift together," but after so many days of trying to get what Gladio wanted, Ignis considered this small thing a win. 

It wasn't that Ignis did not know Gladio enough to get him a gift himself. It was precisely _because_ he knew Gladio that Ignis struggled finding that perfect gift, because he knew very well that Gladio was the kind of man who purchased things perhaps once every three years, and when he did, he made it count. Gladio knew what he needed and bought them himself whenever he needed them, without looking at the price tag. Ignis never knew the man as someone who was excited by unnecessary extravagance, but he did purchase and value utility above anything else. He hardly ever looked impressed by anything material. 

They were married barely a year, and Ignis would rather be caught dead than give his husband some frivolous token. Gladiolus was more than that—deserved so much more than that. 

Ignis reached the square Gladio indicated on his text message. It was one of the many plazas rebuilt around Insomnia, its stone fountain currently at the center of the festive lights and flurry of activity, surrounded by people littering the space as they did every other public corner of the city. But even in the middle of such extravagance, the man whom Ignis was meeting stood there no less marvelous and majestic. 

Gladiolus Amicitia in their youth had been a man who graced the covers of _Insomnia Quarterly_ as the city’s most eligible bachelor (given the Prince’s expected betrothed status) more times than Ignis had cared to count. Now that he was older and far less eligible, Gladio still struck a striking picture, towering over many of the people around him, dark coat and dark hair and a handsome profile few could match. Alone there in that bustling square, he looked like some forlorn leading man in the cheesy dramas he so loved. Even now he pulled eyes on him, this beautiful pillar of a man, and woe be to Ignis who wed him, for not even a golden ring on Gladio’s finger could deter the attention Gladiolus still sometimes got. 

"Iggy!"

Still, it was gratifying when Gladio paid others no mind. Ignis could not even muster up his usual exasperation when Gladio’s outburst gained Ignis a few sets of eyes, people who did not recognize them likely curious who the handsome man's companion for the evening was going to be. It didn't help that Gladio jogged towards Ignis and threw a, "Hey there, gorgeous," like he wasn't the most handsome thing on that square. 

Ignis could not help but shake his head at him, a fond smile lighting his face. "Hey yourself," he greeted back. 

That was all he managed before Gladio was pulling him into a tight embrace. He found himself enveloped in Gladio's familiar scent and body heat, so comforting and addictive especially given the chill air and after the holiday rush at the Citadel earlier that day. 

"I missed you," said Gladio, his warm breath creating a pocket of warmth right by Ignis's ear. The adviser shivered, not only from the heat but also from the sweetness of those words, so silly and yet so very Gladio that it should no longer be so surprising. 

"Silly man. I saw you just this morning," ignis quipped, the playful words familiar and comforting. 

"You know a day without you is a day too long." He punctuated that with a finger tipping up Ignis' chin. Only Gladio would have the gall to do something like that with Ignis, 34 years old and the serious adviser to the King of Lucis. He promptly scrunched his nose at the treatment, but this only earned him a laugh from the other man.

"And you are ridiculous as always," Ignis said to him, shaking his head. “Now where is this thing you want finally, hm? You could have just told me what it is, Gladio. At least I would have had it gift-wrapped.”

Somehow, this only seemed to make Gladio laugh. “Nah, you know I don’t need that. Plus that just gives you more things to clean up,” he said, pragmatically. Ignis did love that in a man. 

Gladio then took Ignis’ hand and led him away from the square. He effectively made a path for them, the crowds parting before a man his size. His larger hands wrapped securely around Ignis’ gloved ones, the warmth of him seeping through the thin leather. It was pleasant, as it usually was in his company, and it was all Ignis could do not to walk with a besotted smile on his face right there in the middle of Insomnia’s streets. 

Gladio walked them down a short sidewalk, and had them cross the street once, shielding Ignis from oncoming traffic. Knowing he was being safely led along the way, Ignis allowed himself to look around and enjoy the festive decor of the normally somber, all-business mood around the city. They passed glass windows of different shops, each showing its own interpretation of the occasion, each one inviting and promising to be the source of the elusive gift meant for Ignis’ husband. 

To Ignis’ surprise, however, they stopped at none of these shops. Curious now, he looked up at Gladio, for most of the well-known brands were in that quarter they just passed, and they were now approaching an area where… well, there was only the park and a few cafes and little boutiques there. 

“Where are we going, Gladio?” he asked, curious. 

The older man, however, only smiled. “Patience, love,” he said, squeezing the hand in his. “You’ll see. We’ve got time, don’t we?”

Ignis did clear his evening, yes, at Gladio’s request. It was not a request Ignis could give lightly, but then, it was not something his husband asked very often either. Few people in Ignis’ life had been able to understand the pressures of his job and the dedication with which he wanted to honor it. Lovers came and went, some perhaps well-meaning and meant to understand at first, but in the end, all of them had left, unable to cope. 

Save for one man. They didn’t date for long, and much of the time they were acquainted, they had mostly just been friends. But even during those times, Gladio had been the most patient person in Ignis’ life, never asking for more than Ignis was willing to give, always willing to wait. 

For that, Ignis vowed to see him happy, in what limited way he could. 

“I know of no shops here,” he said, intent to squeeze more clues from the other man. “Is it a special shop? A yet unknown artisan?”

They stopped at a pedestrian crossing, at which Gladio turned to Ignis during the red light. He dropped a peck on the adviser’s lips. “Hush, babe,” he admonished, pinching Ignis’ cold nose for good measure as though he was a boy of seven years instead of his formidable thirty-four. “You’ll see soon enough.” 

Where they ended up, to Ignis’ continuing confusion, was the park. They entered the stone and steel archway down a line of pine trees, all bedecked with golden lights like fireflies at twilight. There were still some people around them, some couples sitting on the benches, huddled together in the growing chill of the evening, but it was at least less crowded there than in the streets just outside. 

Was it here, Ignis wondered. Or were they just passing by? 

The park was lined with charming cobblestones, golden yellow in the light, and they marked a path that Gladio seemed to follow. All the while, he had Ignis’ hand in his, warm and right, as though made to fit him better than even Ignis’ favorite gloves. For a moment, Ignis figured, if they were to walk all evening just like this, perhaps it would not be so bad. Further questions died on his lips. 

Soon, he saw lights in the distance. As they came closer Ignis could see that there were lines of stalls and merchants, smoke and steam coming out of their colorful carts. There were a few people already sitting on the benches around the place, sharing warm drinks and hot food, from steaming breads to glistening skewers. The place was not so crowded as the square, the atmosphere more intimate although no less festive, and more often than not it seemed the patrons were mostly couples, the people paired off and most things seemingly shared between them. 

Gladio led them a few paces further. It was faint at first, but soon the first notes of a familiar song reached Ignis’ ears. He straightened, his head turning to search for the source. Gladio knew him well and did not even hide his smug grin as he finally led Ignis to a small gazebo off to the side and away from the busier area they just passed. Here there were far less people, with only just a small crowd already gathered. 

In the gazebo was a quaint setup of two musicians, a lady on a piano and a charming man with a violin. Together they played a slow tune, mellow and romantic, their sounds complementary as though they were speaking and understanding one another so perfectly. As they listened, the violin led the duet into a crescendo, the piano following him through it as a fitting accompaniment, and for a moment Ignis felt breathless at the utter perfection of it all. 

The crowd before them had paired up and were swaying with the music. It wasn’t until Gladio had led Ignis out onto the makeshift dance floor, near two couples already dancing and lost in their own world, that Ignis took the hint and looked up at the other man. 

"Gladio, is this--"

Before he could finish his question, Gladio was already bowing before him. "Would you do me the honor?" 

Ignis’ surprise was fleeting and soon faded, replaced by the now familiar thought of ‘aah, I should have known’ that just came with being married to a man like Gladio. Theoretically it should all seem silly, the two of them in their dark coats and scarves and six-degree weather, but right there in the golden fairy lights, Gladio’s eyes were warm honey gazing down at Ignis as though he was seeing nothing else in the world. 

A rise in the music cued Gladio to lift their joined hands and pulled Ignis to a turn. Ignis’ body obeyed, the trust too deeply embedded in his very bones for his body to question what they were doing. It surprised a laugh out of him, a gentle huff of air that pulled an encouraging smile in Gladio’s handsome face. The way Ignis’ heart leapt at the sight—oh, Ignis knew then that he was lost. 

Gladio led them to a simple dance. Ignis knew the movements and Gladio led wonderfully, deceptively graceful, quick and limber on his feet behind the muscles and hulking size. It never failed to surprise people, especially given the roughness of his appearance. But Ignis knew him well, and knew that he danced exquisitely. He watched Gladio often enough when they were young, had longed to dance with him even when propriety kept him in place. How jealous he was of the women who flocked to Gladio during those Citadel balls, likely wanting more than just a dance with him then—a night, a moment to boast to friends, a chance at marriage. Through it all, Ignis could only stand aside, watching, doing nothing, for Gladio wasn’t his then. 

Oh, but he was now. Somehow, in the long years, they found their way to this. Perhaps even now Gladio thought it was all him, that all Ignis ever did in those years of them working together was to refuse anything more than friendship. And yet how fast they came together when the job was done, when Noctis was finally in his rightful throne and all was well. Surely, Gladio must have known. 

“What are you thinking about?” asked the man before him. 

Gladio’s voice was deep and intimate, and it never failed to pull Ignis out of anywhere his mind had taken him. “Nothing much,” he said, not knowing quite where to start. “I was thinking about those dances when we were young. You danced well, even then.”

A dark eyebrow lifted. “You were watching?”

Ignis met that amber gaze. He supposed there was no use anymore in hiding. “I was.”

“Huh.” Thoughts seemed to circle Gladio’s mind, Ignis could tell. He waited. “Did you… maybe want to dance with me then?”

“I did.” Ignis shrugged. “But I wouldn’t have.” 

Of course not. The Prince’s Shield and the Prince’s Adviser? Their roles were new yet, and Noct was barely established as a respectable royalty. Things had been tenuous all around, they had to be careful and could afford no luxuries. Ignis also did not know enough then what traditions were followed by the Amicitias, though he would not have been surprised if expectations of Gladio marrying and securing heirs was part of the plan. He thought it best not to entertain foolish fancies.

“I wish you had,” said Gladio now. 

“I couldn’t have.”

“Is that also why?” Another turn. All the while, even as they moved, they never broke their gaze. Ignis could feel Gladio’s eyes on him like a tender caress, as intimate and possessive as the hand on his waist. “It took us so long. I honestly thought I had no chance with you.”

Ignis laughed at this. “Is that what you call it? It wasn’t as though you ever stopped flirting.”

“Did you know,” Gladio laughed, “I thought maybe I wasn’t your type? Which was so confusing to me—I thought I was everyone’s type.”

No matter how he loved him, Ignis could not help it—he scowled, clicked his tongue, and he pinched Gladio’s side, the man barely containing his yelp at the attack. “You’re a right scoundrel, do you know that?” 

“Only to the ones I really like,” quipped the other. He dodged Ignis’ attack by pushing them off and pulling Ignis once again to a turn. 

“Is that so?” Ignis’ voice held a warning. “And how many are we in this category?” 

This time, Gladio’s laugh was so loud it drew the eyes of two couples around them. Sensing their eyes on him, the Shield quickly toned it down, pulling Ignis once again to him, smiling at the frown on his husband’s face. 

“Oh, Iggy, Iggy...” he cooed, wrapping his arms around Ignis tight and pressing a kiss on his cold cheek. “Now? You are the only one.” He moved to the other cheek to plant a kiss there as well, longer this time, lingering. When he next spoke, the words were slow and thoughtful, and for Ignis’ ears alone. “To tell you the truth… maybe it was always just you.”

For a while, they did not speak. The sound of mellow music flowed around them, their shoes scrunching on tiny stones on the ground as they moved. Around them was the faint scent of pine, and for Ignis, it was mixed with the scent of Gladio’s cologne and the intimate, heady scent of his skin. He was warmth all around Ignis—his hands on Ignis’ back, his breath on Ignis’ ear, the two of them gently swaying in place along with the music.

It was all Ignis’ could do to just close his eyes and let it all fill his senses. He tucked his head on the crook of Gladio’s neck and shoulder. 

“How did you know about this?” he asked quietly. 

“Heard a friend talk about it,” Gladio answered. “They’ve been playing here all week. Thought you might like it.”

Ignis took a breath, completely relaxed. “I do,” he said. "But this cannot be the gift you wanted."

"It is absolutely the gift I wanted." This time, the kiss Gladio gave him was on the lips, warm and chaste given the place, but no less sweet. "Iggy, believe me—I hardly want for anything, not anymore. I meant it all those times I told you I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted." 

Gladio’s gaze was soft as he tucked a strand of hair behind Ignis' ear. "If you really must get me a gift for special occasions like this, then let us do something just like this, yeah? A gift of your time, just you and me. Dance with me in the middle of a crowd, take me out on a date, take me somewhere where we won’t be disturbed. Call it making up for lost time. Doesn’t it make you wonder, Iggy? We’ve known each other as kids. I’ve even liked you for about as long.”

Ignis pulled back to look up at the other’s face. “As kids?”

“Yeah. Like, first crush-long, you know?”

Green eyes widened at this revelation. “I did not know it was that long actually, no.”

Gladio shrugged and pulled Ignis back close to him. “I mean I get it,” he continued, “we’ve got jobs and all that, and maybe it was a bad idea at the time. Can’t fault a man for hoping, though. I mean, a guy like you?” Gladio laughed, but it was short and stilted, and Ignis could tell he was thinking back on those years as well. “Anyone would be so lucky. And in our circle, it was common enough to get betrothed, you know? I’ve always wondered who yours was going to be.”

“My uncle spared me from that, fortunately,” said Ignis. “Spared, or delayed it long enough for me to fully get away with it.”

“Lucky me,” said Gladio, looking like he fully meant it. “It hasn’t been easy—boy, what an understatement, the shit we had to do. And I knew then, if I pushed it, and say we dated, but we’re so busy with everything we had to do that we would just neglect us in the end—gods, I didn’t want that. I know we’ve been friends for a long time, but dating is different. I wanted my chance with you to count, Iggy. 

“So when it’s finally done? When we did date, and gods, when I couldn’t wait and asked you to marry me just months after, and you actually said _yes..._ I had the gift of a lifetime, Iggy.” The hands around him tightened. “So forgive me if I gotta insist—there is no gift I would ever want again, ever. Everything else will pale in comparison.”

For a moment, Ignis could do nothing else but stare at him. Gladio had always been sweet with him, with Ignis having to suffer through Noct and Prompto’s endless teasing. His manner with Ignis changed little from when they were friends and comrades and Gladio had no shortage of compliments, to when they became lovers who knew and trusted one another deeply. They were still newly married, so it should be no surprise that there were still going to be many more revelations between them, things the veil of friendship kept them from saying those many years before. 

_How many more?_ Ignis wondered, embarrassed but also equally excited by the prospect. 

Outwardly, he only smiled. "Gladio…" he said finally. He took a breath. "Dearest… you really are so cheesy."

He barely suppressed a squeal when this time, it was Gladio who reached up and pinched his side. "Gladio!" 

“Ssh!” Gladio laughed, pulling Ignis to the edge of the crowd, turning his back to the rest of the dancers and hiding them as they were, without a doubt and to Ignis’ chagrin, the rowdiest couple in the bunch. “I think we’re making too much noise here.”

“ _You’re_ the one instigating it,” accused Ignis. He was quickly distracted, however, when Gladio leaned down, completely engulfing Ignis in his shadow and hiding him from prying eyes. There in that space, he kissed him, long and sweet. Their lips pressed together hot and inviting, this time not so chaste as Gladio’s tongue slipped momentarily inside Ignis’ mouth as though for a taste. He always did kiss so well, Ignis thought not without a touch of jealousy for all the lovers Gladio ever had, and perhaps it was this that made him tilt his head up, his lips parting, opening himself up to receive that kiss. 

He sensed the surprise in Gladio’s next breath, sensed him shaking as though keeping himself from groaning or wanting more. When they parted, Ignis opened his eyes to catch the desire mirrored in Gladio’s own, burning hotter now as they shone golden in the dim lights. 

“I’m torn,” the Shield suddenly said, his naturally low voice even more satisfyingly deep and husky after that kiss. 

“How so?” asked Ignis, whose own voice was thankfully clear and devoid of the inner turmoil brought by his inability to pull the man before him and ravage him in the next available surface. 

“I want to take you home,” answered Gladio, the words further feeding the fire in Ignis, “but at the same time, I do not want this moment to end so soon. I don’t think I’ve fully enjoyed my gift just yet.”

“Ah, but that depends on what your gift is.” Ignis smiled. “What would you say it is: _this_ dance, under the lights and the stars, or… to put it more generally--” Here he leaned over, crowding Gladio so their lips brushed fleetingly “--it could be a long, _long_ evening of _dancing_. All sorts of dancing, starting merely, of course, with this one.”

It was always gratifying, hearing Gladio laugh. “I do like how you think, Lord Strategist. And what sorts of _dances_ do you have in mind for me?”

“You tell me.” Ignis wrapped his arms around Gladio’s neck, pressing them impossibly closer. The heat radiating from Gladio was unmistakable, not to mention, other good, delectable things now pressing needily against Ignis’ front. The words he whispered were only for Gladio’s ears. “For you, dear husband, I could dance every which way. I am quick on my feet, as I am on my back, or on my knees. Would you like to see? Or perhaps, shall I show you how far back I can bend—”

That was as far as Ignis managed before he was laughing and getting pulled—rather harshly and impatiently—out of that dance floor. Gladio barely had the presence of mind to drop a generous amount on the tip box at the corner as he all but launched them back out into the pathway leading them out of the park and, presumably, home.

Ignis did not know if Gladio had any gift for him. Knowing the man, he probably did, but even so he could not help but think that this gift Gladio thought up was one that would just keep on giving.

**Author's Note:**

> Gladnis and long crushes and pining because of duty is my jaaaam~ The headcanon comes out even when unplanned lol
> 
> Happy holidays, everyone! May 2021 be kinder and infinitely more fun for us all.


End file.
